NPE2015 returning to 5-day show schedule

WASHINGTON (Sept. 7, 2:25 p.m. ET) — It’s official: NPE2015 will run Monday through Friday, March 23-27, 2015 — a return to a full five days of trade show exhibits.

The show this year, NPE2012, had four exhibiting days. NPE2012 ran Sunday through Thursday, April 1-5. That also was a total event of five days, but the trade show floor was not open on Sunday, a day that included the Plastics Hall of Fame induction dinner, SPI’s 75th anniversary golf tournament and a brand-owner panel discussion.

This year, the triennial NPE moved to the Orange County Convention Center from its longtime home of Chicago’s McCormick Place. It also was the first time the exhibits ran on a four-day schedule instead of five days.

SPI spokesman Robert Martino said polling of attendees and exhibitors by the Washington-based trade association showed a preference for the traditional five days of an open show floor.

The timing also is better to avoid conflicts with Easter and Passover. The early-April dates this year meant NPE2012 ended the day before Good Friday.

In 2015, Easter will be April 5 and Passover will start April 4.

“So you’re talking about a decent interval from the show to those major holidays,” Martino said.